Member

Amendments 4, 27 and 41 relate to Chagossian resettlement. For a range of reasons, including the security and financial implications, for over 50 years no UK Government have sought to facilitate return to the islands. The IRDC conducted a survey of Chagossians as part of its engagement exercise. Noting the methodological issues in that survey, including those highlighted by the subsequent Dunne review and the IRDC report itself, it is none the less clear that views on resettlement were, as you would expect, mixed. Just under half of the respondents said they were unlikely to resettle on the outer islands. Some specifically stated they would rather remain where they currently live, as opportunities were likely to be greater than on the islands.